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Which method to cut bronze pipe?

I’m going to replace six iron pipe stancions in the boat with bronze pipe. (I can hear Chris and others laughing now ). There’s more to the story but for now I have to cut six 1” bronze schedule 40 pipe (sometimes called red brass) to length and thread the ends. Cutting and threading with the store’s machine is not an option because the machine’s jaws scar the pipe. I’ve got a 1” pipe threader, that’s easy. But there are several options to cut the pipe. 1), I can hand cut with a hack saw and square the face on a disc sander. 2), I can buy a metal cutting blade for my chop saw. Or 3), I can buy a larger pipe version of a tubing cutter.

Re: Which method to cut bronze pipe?

If I have to hacksaw pipe or tubing, I do best if I wrap tape around the piece and steer to that. A good hacksaw with the right blade is an underrated tool, I think. Abrasive blade in a chopsaw (or one of those belt driven dedicated ones) seems to be the way local shops cut off stock, bit messy (in the work area, lots of dust and particles) but the cuts are square. For holding pieces for threading, maybe a hardwood block drilled before splitting, the clamped in the vise?

Re: Which method to cut bronze pipe?

as you already know...the store's machine is the ideal for this ...if you're lucky the scaring grips can be positioned at the very end and finishing up is just a matter of cutting the marred end off to finished/desired length. I would also suggest that you use electricains die's - might well be known by some other name. they don't cut a tapered thread ( ok not entirely straight either, but closer than the more typical "tapered" threads that are common in the water/gas trades) done right, the finished product will have less threads visible- and the finished threads will have a more exact stopping point when screwing into a socket

Re: Which method to cut bronze pipe?

I would cut it in my horizontal bandsaw. My second choice might be my chop saw with carbide blade (triple chip). Or a handheld bandsaw such as the Milwaukee Portaband. I would also consider not threading the ends but, rather, drill out the bases to fit the OD, insert, and silver solder. Or weld the pipe to a bronze flat.

I think that an abrasive blade will load up with the soft bronze and become useless in short order.

Re: Which method to cut bronze pipe?

Hacksaw (on taped pipe) should do just fine - as mentioned.

A thought on threading. My stanchions are held into the base with a machine screw into threads in the base & the pipe. 1 minute to remove the stanchion & no scarring of the pipe when you do so*. The curve of the cable (as it follows the curve of the toerail/bulwark) holds them tight.

I also found that the pipe bends surprisingly easily. I turned mine upside down, put in a 5.8(IIRC) dowel & filled the gap with epoxy. This stiffened them up quite a bit.

* label them if you use this method because they won't all be identical DAMHIKT

Re: Which method to cut bronze pipe?

Any of the cutting methods will work fine. It is important to start a pipe thread using a square end.

As far as holding the pipe without marring while threading it, look into a gun barrel vise. There are home made versions and a piece of Oak would do the job. A die with sharp threads is advisable, the force required to cut is the inverse of the force required to hold it. You might look into replacing the single die just for this job (Mc Master-Carr should have them)

And now; have you considered simply boring out the flanges and silversoldering the pipe into them? (no threads)
I will volunteer the boring bit...

Re: Which method to cut bronze pipe?

Nothing to add to the advice that has already been offered, but I'm not laughing at all. If I had Snoose nothing less than bronze would do. I also think you should tap the deck plates deeper into the taper so you can hide all of the pipe threads...

Re: Which method to cut bronze pipe?

A short block of wood could be drilled or bored to just fit over the pipe being careful to make the hole perpendicular to one face. Slit lengthwise on one side and you have something non-marring to clamp the pipe in and guide you for a square cut if you’re cutting by hand. A metal file can be used to square things up although a stationary sander would be my preference.

Re: Which method to cut bronze pipe?

Actually, I take that back. I do have some advice. Which is to not overthink things here. A good hacksaw is easy, quick and plenty accurate enough. No need for anything more complicated than this:

Each cut took less than thirty seconds or so, if I recall. I do remember being surprised at how well that saw went through the pipe after a lifetime of using cheap, flimsy, hardware store hacksaws. Never again.

Re: Which method to cut bronze pipe?

Chris, without going back thru the pages of the Petrel thread, how did you treat your black iron stanchions? Did you hot dip them or barrier coat epoxy? Have they rusted at all yet?

Thanks all, for all the good ideas. I know it isn't a big deal to cut pipe properly, but now I have a better idea of what tool(s) I want to buy for the job. Biggest thing I learned, I didn't know there were better hacksaws. No wonder I've always hated them. (Oh, I also learned how to spell stanchions.)

Re: Which method to cut bronze pipe?

I just painted the black pipe with Rustoleum. It held up ok but the stanchions weren't on there for very long as I pulled them off to tear up the aft deck only a few months after I installed them. If I was going to do it again I would use bronze.

Re: Which method to cut bronze pipe?

Actually, I take that back. I do have some advice. Which is to not overthink things here. A good hacksaw is easy, quick and plenty accurate enough. No need for anything more complicated than this:

Each cut took less than thirty seconds or so, if I recall. I do remember being surprised at how well that saw went through the pipe after a lifetime of using cheap, flimsy, hardware store hacksaws. Never again.

The simplest solution by far.For six stanchions it ought to take less than half an hour.If the end isn't perfectly square you can help things along with a chamfer to help start the die and a file will do this.

Re: Which method to cut bronze pipe?

Tried several different methods; by FAR the best and quickest was a hand hacksaw. Even my old cheap one with an old blade went through the schedule 40 pipe like butter.

Then when all pipes were cut and threaded and the new bronze flanges were put on, I discovered that the outer diameter of the new flanges was a problem. For some reason, 1” iron pipe flanges are 3” diameter, but 1” bronze flanges are 4” diameter which doesn’t fit with the cap rails on the boat. I scoured the planet looking for smaller ones or some substitute to no avail. So I decided to cut down the 4” flanges using a fine tooth blade on my wood cutting bandsaw. Didn’t work. However, again the hand hacksaw went through the cast bronze easy. A little touch up on the belt sander and problem solved. I am now a real fan of a simple hacksaw.

Re: Which method to cut bronze pipe?

Funny, that was exactly my experience in cutting the stanchions for Petrel as well. It's easy to be seduced by the convenience of a power tool but for some jobs the simple hand tools just work best. I cut all of the deck beams I just made for Petrel using a double edge Japanese pull saw. I might have been able to do it marginally faster with a circular saw but it was so much more enjoyable to work without the noise and weight of a power tool. And even more so that I was able to just flip the saw over between rip and crosscut when notching the ends.

Re: Which method to cut bronze pipe?

Originally Posted by cstevens

Funny, that was exactly my experience in cutting the stanchions for Petrel as well. It's easy to be seduced by the convenience of a power tool but for some jobs the simple hand tools just work best. I cut all of the deck beams I just made for Petrel using a double edge Japanese pull saw. I might have been able to do it marginally faster with a circular saw but it was so much more enjoyable to work without the noise and weight of a power tool. And even more so that I was able to just flip the saw over between rip and crosscut when notching the ends.

That base looks perfect Ron. Just the right thing for Snoose!

Well - you might wanna pretend it's an illegal gun that needs to lose its serial # & use a dremel or some such to remove the "China".

As far as cutting bronze with a band saw - I've done it a bunch, but find a medium blade works better than a fine one.

Re: Which method to cut bronze pipe?

Originally Posted by ron ll

Tried several different methods; by FAR the best and quickest was a hand hacksaw. Even my old cheap one with an old blade went through the schedule 40 pipe like butter.

Then when all pipes were cut and threaded and the new bronze flanges were put on, I discovered that the outer diameter of the new flanges was a problem. For some reason, 1” iron pipe flanges are 3” diameter, but 1” bronze flanges are 4” diameter which doesn’t fit with the cap rails on the boat. I scoured the planet looking for smaller ones or some substitute to no avail. So I decided to cut down the 4” flanges using a fine tooth blade on my wood cutting bandsaw. Didn’t work. However, again the hand hacksaw went through the cast bronze easy. A little touch up on the belt sander and problem solved. I am now a real fan of a simple hacksaw.

Then you’ll LOVE one of these - a portable band saw ( ......the Makita one that I have is not cheap, but performs brilliantly, an absolutely fantastic bit of kit !!! )

Larks

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“It’s risky”, said experience.
“It’s pointless”, said reason.
“Give it a try”, whispered the heart.

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